As the Green Bay Packers gear up to face the Detroit Lions for the first time this season, the topic of Ndamukong Suh’s dirty stomp in their Thanksgiving Day meeting a year ago is in the news again.

Of course, the Packers and Lions have already faced each other again, playing in the season finale of 2011 without incident.

But Suh’s dirty tactics will probably always be a footnote in this NFC North rivalry after he stomped on the arm of Packers fill-in guard Evan Dietrich-Smith last season, earning him a suspension from the NFL.

“I don’t even think about it anymore. I think writers and stuff try to make more about it than it was, but it’s not really on my mind,” Dietrich-Smith said, according to Jason Wilde of ESPN Milwaukee.

Josh Sitton will primarily be pitted against Suh in their meeting this Sunday.

“That’s something that’s in the past. We can’t really think about anything that’s gone on in the past,” Sitton said. “He just better not stomp me.”

The Packers will be in Detroit this weekend, leading some to remember their last November trip to the Motor City.

That was last Thanksgiving, of course, and it was when Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh stomped on Packers guard Evan Dietrich-Smith at the end of a play. Suh wound up being suspended two games as a result of the incident, which Suh has maintained was not intentional since it happened. Dietrich-Smith, who may be moving back into the starting lineup with Bryan Bulaga hitting injured reserve, said that he doesn’t spend any time thinking about last Thanksgiving.

“I don’t even think about it anymore. I think writers and stuff try to make more about it than it was, but it’s not really on my mind,” Dietrich-Smith said, via Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.

Josh Sitton, whose absence forced Dietrich-Smith into the lineup last season, also downplayed the date with Suh. Unlike Dietrich-Smith, he indicated that it is on his mind at least a little bit.

“That’s something that’s in the past. We can’t really think about anything that’s gone on in the past,” Sitton said. “He just better not stomp me.”

You wouldn’t expect to see anything similar to last year during this week’s matchup between the Lions and Packers, but, then, you didn’t really expect to see Suh stomping anyone last year either.

Lions hopeful Cliff Avril can play this weekPosted by Josh Alper on November 14, 2012, 9:57 AM EST

Most of the attention paid to concussions this week has had to do with the injuries suffered by quarterbacks Jay Cutler, Alex Smith and Michael Vick.

They weren’t the only players to suffer head injuries in Week 10, though. Lions defensive end Cliff Avril, who has 4.5 sacks this season, also wound up with a concussion during the Lions’ loss to the Vikings. While he still needs to go through the league-mandated tests before he’s cleared to return to the lineup, the team is hopeful that Avril’s condition after the game is a sign that he’ll be able to play against the Packers.

“He was much improved after the game, probably more so than a lot of the other concussions that we’ve had,” Lions coach Jim Schwartz said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “He’ll have to go through a protocol to return. But he presented different at the end of the game than some other guys have.”

We’ll get a better idea of how Avril has progressed when the Lions release their first injury report of the week on Monday. He won’t be the only member of the defense to watch closely this week.

Safety Louis Delmas is off of crutches after missing the last two games with a knee injury and the team is also monitoring the conditions of cornerback Chris Houston, safety Amari Spievey and defensive tackle Corey Williams. With the Packers offense finding its stride in the weeks before the bye, Detroit will likely need all the healthy defensive bodies they can rustle up for this week’s game.

Detroit vs. EverybodyClowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right....

November 14th, 2012, 2:56 pm

wjb21ndtown

Re: Getting ready for: The Packers

Bend over, put your head in your lap, and hold on tight...

November 14th, 2012, 2:58 pm

TheRealWags

Megatron

Joined: December 31st, 2004, 9:55 amPosts: 12534

Re: Getting ready for: The Packers

MLive wrote:

Detroit Lions Issue of The Week: Defeat Green Bay Packers in must-win game By Anwar S. Richardson | on November 14, 2012 at 5:04 AM, updated November 14, 2012 at 5:05 AM

ALLEN PARK -- When the Detroit Lions (4-5, 0-3) face the Green Bay Packers (6-3, 1-0) this Sunday, it is just like any other game, right?

Some coaches and players will tell you there is no such thing as a must-win game. Lions coach Jim Schwartz preaches the most important game is the next one.

"Our goal is a one-game winning streak this week," Schwartz said. "I think that that's the only thing that we can work for right now. We're not going to prepare for any other games. We're going to prepare for this one and need to get a win there. We'll leave math for mathematicians and statisticians and stuff like that."

Just another game?

Welcome back to MLive.com's weekly Lions feature. In advance of each game, we identify the Lions' "Issue of the Week" and give our insight as to how it might play out.

And we welcome feedback from you, the reader, with some of the best comments slated to be used in an item later this week.

ANWAR RICHARDSONThe Detroit Lions have an outside shot of making this year's playoffs. However, the Lions are outside in the cold watching other teams sitting by the "playoff fireplace" getting warmer and warmer.

No matter what Schwartz says, this is a must-win game for Detroit. Yes, he will tell you every game is a must-win, but this game is the most important one of Detroit's season. Detroit needs to win at least six of its remaining seven games to make the playoffs, and even that may not be enough. If Detroit loses against Green Bay on Sunday, the rest of this season is about building for 2013.

JUSTIN ROGERSYeah, I'm not playing the playoffs card. That ship sailed last Sunday when the Lions laid in an egg in Minnesota. In all likelihood, this team would need to win six out of seven games, and if you've been watching all season, there's no reason to believe that will happen.

This is a must-win game, not to keep playoff hopes alive, but to prevent this season from spiraling out of control. If Green Bay waltzes into Ford Field and puts the boots to the Leos, fans are going to turn on this team quickly. Well, the ones that haven't already.

If the Lions lose to Green Bay, they'll have as many losses through 10 games as they had all of last season. It could also trigger a long losing streak with four straight games against legitimate playoff contenders.

Detroit vs. EverybodyClowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right....

November 14th, 2012, 3:02 pm

49ers

Varsity Captain

Joined: October 12th, 2011, 9:00 amPosts: 290Location: Vermont

Re: Getting ready for: The Packers pt 1

I know you guys thought that last week was the must-win game of the year, but I think this one is. 4-5 with a win means 5-5 and you're only 1 game back of the Packers who would fall to 6-4; and the Bears could very well lose without Cutler on Monday night.

A loss, however, is devastating. 4-6, 3 games behind Green Bay and Chicago with 6 to go.

This is the season. Not last week, this week.

_________________

Pablo wrote:

the app worked OK, but it is hard to draft while driving.

November 14th, 2012, 7:06 pm

regularjoe12

Def. Coordinator – Teryl Austin

Joined: March 30th, 2006, 12:48 amPosts: 4211Location: Davison Mi

Re: Getting ready for: The Packers pt 1

49ers wrote:

I know you guys thought that last week was the must-win game of the year, but I think this one is. 4-5 with a win means 5-5 and you're only 1 game back of the Packers who would fall to 6-4; and the Bears could very well lose without Cutler on Monday night.

A loss, however, is devastating. 4-6, 3 games behind Green Bay and Chicago with 6 to go.

This is the season. Not last week, this week.

Nope, hate to say it but it was last week. If we won last week we knock minny down and give ourselves a solid chance at the # 2 wild card slot. A win this week would have put us in for a fight for the number one.....had we won. I appreciate the optimism but if the lions make the playoffs it's by squeaking in as the 6 seed. Now with minny with tie breaker I don't see that happening unless they slump hard! I can still see the NFC north sending 3 to the playoffs, but with minny's huge lead now, it's not likely to be us.

_________________2013 Lionbacker Fantasy Football Champion

November 14th, 2012, 8:07 pm

Killwill25

Rookie Player of the Year

Joined: March 5th, 2009, 8:42 pmPosts: 2422Location: Brooklyn, NY

Re: Getting ready for: The Packers pt 1

Atleast we can be that sure Mayhew and Schwartz are already scouting some great depth players.

_________________Just one Super Bowl win before I go!

November 15th, 2012, 1:27 am

The Legend

Team President - Rod Wood

Joined: February 11th, 2005, 3:01 pmPosts: 5013Location: WSU

Re: Getting ready for: The Packers pt 1

this game looks like nothing but trouble. the secondary was awful last week and ponder wasnt even going after them that hard. maybe it had a lot to do with Adrian Peterson. We can only hope. I think this week is the bloodbath that is the nail in the coffin for the Lions season - big losses to GB and Houston and a 4-7 record. Time to grow up vs the big boys or face the consequences.

Keys to winning this week:

1. Somebody wake up the Defensive Line, GB O Line isnt all that great and the Packers dont run all that well. Just let loose and go after Rodgers except in the circumstance that Randall Cobb is lined up in the backfield. Otherwise accept that they will hit on a couple screens or draws.

2. Just stop it with the running game. Green Bay is going to score eventually so we cant just sit there and be happy as long as its less than a 2 score game like last week. The Lions have been wasting way too many possessions pretending like they are power running game. Joique Bell and Mikel LeShoure - bless em because Bell is a lot better than you would expect from an undrafted guy 3 years out with no previous NFL carries and LeShoure has made an impressive comeback from devastating Achilles tear but they just arent that great of players. Sure they are avg over 4 yards per attempt but the Lions have no run plays over 20 yards on 219 attempts. The longest run being 19 yards...by Kevin Smith. Anyway I havent seen too many teams try to be both a power run team and have a pass heavy identity but thats what this Lions team is. I d be much more happy losing if we were gambling on Stafford s arm than on that OL and these one dimensional backs. Get some real runners, plug Reiff in as a starter and add an interior player to upgrade Peterman and then maybe we can revisit that approach but this team has to telegraph when its running with the jumbo package and then they ll telegraph when they are passing with the empty backfield. Stay aggressive with the pass - at least this week, you re going to need to score points.

A cornerback dubbing himself Optimus Prime the week before playing Megatron, aka Detroit’s Calvin Johnson, is not particularly original: Seattle’s Richard Sherman just did it three weeks ago. But Packers cornerback Tramon Williams, who will cover Johnson on Sunday, says he’s the real Optimus Prime.

“I’m definitely Optimus Prime,” Williams told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I’m the leader of the Autobots. I’m the leader of the young guys right now and when it comes down to the tough battles, I’ll lead those guys out there.”

Williams is 5-foot-11 and 191 pounds, so Johnson has about six inches and 45 pounds on him. But Williams said even Seattle’s big pair of cornerbacks couldn’t match up with Johnson’s size, and that simply being big isn’t enough to stop Johnson.

“Guys like Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman – they talk about how physical they are – but Calvin was pushing those guys around the field like it was nothing,” Williams said. “And those are some big guys. You definitely have to be careful with how you play a big guy like that.”

The last time Johnson played against the Packers, he had 244 receiving yards, the most any Green Bay opponent has ever had in the history of the franchise. Williams isn’t vowing to totally shut Johnson down, but he is promising a better game than last time.

“That’s what’s going down on Sunday – me going against Calvin,” Williams said. “He’s going to make some plays and I’m going to make some plays. We’ll see who wins the battle in the end.”

Detroit vs. EverybodyClowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right....

November 15th, 2012, 9:46 am

TheRealWags

Megatron

Joined: December 31st, 2004, 9:55 amPosts: 12534

Re: Getting ready for: The Packers pt 1

PFT wrote:

Clay Matthews ruled out for SundayPosted by Josh Alper on November 14, 2012, 3:11 PM EST

The Lions won’t have to worry about blocking Clay Matthews this Sunday.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy ruled Matthews out for this weekend’s matchup with Detroit. Matthews hurt his hamstring in the team’s last game, a 31-17 win against the Cardinals in Week Nine. McCarthy said at the time that it would be a couple of weeks before Matthews was healthy enough to return and this is the second week. Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports McCarthy said the team knew Matthews would be out and has planned for this game with his absence in mind.

McCarthy said that they’d see what happens next week, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the team proceeds cautiously with Matthews. He’s had hamstring issues earlier in his career with the Packers and the team has seen Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson aggravate a previous injury by returning quicker than may have been prudent this season.

Jennings also won’t play this week, but Nelson sounds set to be in the lineup. McCarthy said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, that Nelson has looked like his old self this week and should play on Sunday.

Green Bay Packers: The Packers ruled out linebacker Clay Matthews (hamstring) from Sunday's game against the Lions. The same goes for receiver Greg Jennings (abdomen) and cornerback Charles Woodson (collarbone). Defensive end Mike Neal (ankle) also did not practice. Fullback John Kuhn (hamstring) was limited.

Allen Park — New Lions cornerback Pat Lee said he feels at home with his new team, but he has may have a bone to pick with his teammates.

When Lee was with the Packers last season, he was ejected from the Thanksgiving game in Detroit and fined $15,000 after apparently throwing a punch at former cornerback Aaron Berry.

Lee said he didn't swing first, and video appears to back him up.

"Somebody owes me 15 stacks in here," Lee said jokingly. "The refs were not helping me on that one."

After clearing the air, Lee can turn his focus to playing his old team Sunday. He doesn't know how quickly he'll be able to learn the new scheme, but Lee plans to pass along any inside information he knows about the Packers.

"I'll be talking to these guys," he said with a sly smile.

Asked how much Lee can tip off the Lions to the Packers' secrets, quarterback Aaron Rodgers said, "It depends on how much information you're able to steal."

Joking aside, Rodgers said the Lions added a "good pro" and a "good teammate" in Lee, whom the Lions signed Monday after he was cut by the Raiders last week.

"Pat's a high-energy guy, a high-effort guy," Rodgers said. "He made a couple big plays for us on special teams during his time here. I think he's a guy who can play inside and outside corner, and he's always around the football."

Green Bay drafted Lee out of Auburn in the second round in 2008, and he played three seasons as a reserve. He started seven games for Oakland this season before being cut to make room for cornerback Ron Bartell, the previous starter who'd been injured.

Lions veteran cornerback Drayton Florence (broken arm) is also eligible to return this week and could bolster their secondary with starter Chris Houston working through an ankle injury. The team has until next Wednesday to activate Florence.

As for Lee, he said he can play wherever the Lions need him and plans to be ready Sunday.

"It's going to be great going against them old boys," he said. "I'm going to prepare myself all week. I'm going to try to get everything right just for any situation."

Lang returnsFormer Birmingham Brother Rice and Eastern Michigan star T.J. Lang will return home playing a new position.

The Packers placed right tackle Bryan Bulaga (hip) on injured reserve this week, causing a domino effect along the offensive line. Lang, the starting left guard, will likely replace Bulaga, and reserve Evan Dietrich-Smith will fill in Lang's spot.

Rodgers said he expects Lang to play great outside.

"He's been a rock for us inside, and I'm really happy for him and his progression and the way he conducts himself," he said. "He's really become a leader on our offense, a guy you can really count on."

In his four seasons in Green Bay, Lang has also impressed his coach.

"T.J. Lang's a hell of a football player," coach Mike McCarthy said. "He has an ability to play pretty much four positions on the offensive line, probably five if you ask T.J."

Mum's the wordLions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh declined his usual Wednesday interview this week. Instead, he spent a few minutes arguing with a Lions media representative over his statistics.

Later Wednesday, the Elias Sports Bureau officially credited Suh with a sack in the third quarter of the Lions' loss to the Vikings on a play originally ruled a rush by quarterback Christian Ponder.

"I feel fine. I feel great. I'm ready to get things going," he said. "Just the typical wear and tear of the season."

Wide receiver Calvin Johnson (knee) and safety Erik Coleman (eye) also sat out. Coach Jim Schwartz said Coleman, who started the past two games, was suffering from a headache after being poked in the eye and looked like "he went through a championship fight."

Schwartz didn't have an update on the regular starting safeties, Spievey and Delmas.

"We'll see," he said. "Both of those guys are trying to get back on the field, same as everybody else."

_________________"Good teams don't worry about a whole lot of stuff. They travel, they play, they win. And it doesn't matter where they go, what the time block is, all those kinds of things. They never seem to bother teams that play well, and we want to be one of those teams." -Jim Caldwell